Hobbyhorse



Nov. 8, 1949 R. KRASBERG l 2,487,249l

HoBYHRsE Filed May s, 1946 v2 sheets-sheet 1 Hm l" R. KRASBERG Nov. 8, 1949 HOBBYHORSE 'Filed May s, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.487.249 HBBYHORSE Rudolf Krasberg, Chicago, Ill. Application May' 3, 1946, Serial No. 666,9.63 1 Claim. (cl. 272-52) The present invention relates to a rocking toy butl more particularly to an improved hobby horse.

Hobby horses have heretofore been provided which have rockers to provide a rocking motion, and other hobby horses have been provided on fixed stands with certain linkage levers to provide a similar rocking motion of the body of the hobby horse. It would be desirable to provide an improved motion of the hobby horse body for the greater enjoyment of the child rider. In providing such improved motion of the hobby horse it, however, is desirable to provide a construction which is relatively economical to manufacture and which is capable of being packaged in a relatively compact form.

It is therefore an object of the present inven tion to provide an improved rocking toy such as a hobby horse which has an improved action and which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in a rocking toy a construction which is demountable so as to provide for compact pack-- aging to conserve space for shipment.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide in a rocking toy a novel construction CTI which is demountable and which is readily and simply assembled by the vendor.

A stm further object of the present invention 1 is to provide an improved rocking toy having a compound movement and which employs a frame structure of economical material such as a rod or hollow tube.

Other and further objects of the present invention subsequently will become apparent by rfrence to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein l l Y 1 is a side View of a toy constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a right end view;

Figure 4 is a detail view as seen in the direction of the arrows along the staggered line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating certain details of the linkage supporting structure for the body of the toy.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a rocking toy having a body I 0 which may have any suitable conflguration such as that shown which simulates or suggests a horse. The body I 0 is provided with a childs seat l2 and on the neck 55 2 portion with a hand grip or handles formed by a rod I4. To further simulate the appearance of a horse, the body may be provided with a pairof ears I6 and a tail I8. The body I0 is supported from a frame by a suitable mechanism subsequently to be described. The frame is formed of two similar members each having a rocking portion 20 and reversely turned portions 22 and 24 which terminate in inwardly extending portions 26 and 28. The portions 22-28 inclusive are in a generally horizontal plane.

By referring to Figures 2, 3 and 5, it will be seen that the two frames have similar frame portions which have been given similar reference charac'- ters, the one frame carrying the suix letter a. These frames are interconnected by suitable members 30 and 32. The member 30, therefore, interconnects the horizontal inwardly extending portions 26 and 26a of the two rocker frames. The member 30 also carries a linkage mechanism comprising inwardly extending links 34 and 36 which are connected to a cross rod 38. The cross rod 38 carries a pair of generally vertical lever members 48 and 42 which are provided with suitable apertures so that the upper extremities of these members may be secured to the body I0.

In a similar manner the interconnecting member 32 which joins the horizontal portions 28 and 28a is provided with downwardly extending lever links 44 and 46 which are connected to a rod or shaft 48. The rod or shaft 48 carries the generally vertical links 5D and 52 which are provided with suitable apertures so that these members are connected to the body I0.

lThe interconnecting means 3B and 32 are of similar construction each ycarrying a pair of depending lever links `connected to a cross shaft which in turn supports a pair of generally upright link members. Since the interconnecting structures 30 and 32 are similar, a single one of these structures will be described by reference to Figure 4. From this figure it will be seen that the vertical or upright member 50 is provided with an aperture 54 through which the shaft 48 passes. The lower extremity of the member 50 is reversely bent in a generally U or channel shape as at 56. The upturned portion 58 is provided with an aperture for receiving the reduced end portion 68 of the rod 48. 'I'he reduced end portion 68 of the rod 48 passes through an aperture 62 in the downwardly extending link 44 which is Vprovided with a bearing or sleeve member 64 which has an outer collar or ange 66. The reduced end portion 68 of the shaft 48 is formed with a head portion' 68 which engages the collar 66 of the bearing sleeve 64. The other vertical member 52 is of a construction similar to the construction of the vertical member 50 and hence requires no further description.

'Ihe interconnecting assembly 32 includes an internal sleeve which is arranged to extend into the hollow interior of the generally horizontal sections 2B and v28a of the two frame members. The sleeve 10 is retained in position by a plurality of cotter keys 12 which pass through suitable aligned openings in the sleeve and the frame members. The sleeve 10 carries two external sleeves 'I4 and 16 which are spaced Y apart a certain distance by a spacing sleeve 18.

The spacing sleeve 18 is xed in position with respect to the sleeve 16 by a suitable punched recess or depression 80. The sleeves 14 and 16 carry the depending links 44 and 46. Each of the sleeves adjacent its outer extremity is similarly formed. The sleeve 14, for example, has a crimped portion 82 which engages the inner side of the depending lever link 44. The sleeve 14 has its outer extremity turned over as at 84 to retain the link 44 in position. The sleeves 14 and I6 therefore serve as bearing members to permit movement of the associated linkage mechanism when the body It of the horse is moved relative to the frame members 20.

In order to demount or disassemble the arrangement shown in the drawing, it is only necessary to remove the four cotter keys 12. Thereupon two halves of the frame may be removed irom the interconnecting structures 3i) and 32, each of which is provided with a sleeve corresponding to the sleeve shown in Figure 4. The overall dimension of the body of the hobby horse then has a transverse dimension equal to the length of the inner sleeve 1U. The two rocker frames may then be positioned so as to come within these dimensions and placed in a relatively narrow generally rectangular box. The overall height of the disassembled structure is the distance from the lower extremity of the depending member 42 to the top of the head oi the hobby horse IIJ.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, the base or rocker portion has been formed of tubular material which is available and can be formed into the desired conguration rather economically. While a hollow tubing has been shown, it is to be understood that other forms of material such as rods and angle irons might be employed. Where rods are employed, obviously the sleeve 'IIJ would bev modied so as to receive Within the sleeve the extremities 2B and 28a. The lower rod 38 forms a convenient foot rest for the child riding the hobby horse.

In accordance with the present invention, an improved riding action is obtained by the linkage mechanisms which interconnect the rocker or base structure with the body of the toy. The

linkage structure permits the body of the toy to have a movement relative to the rocker frame structure which is illustrated in Figure 1. The dotted line 86 illustrates the rearward position of the body I0 relative to the base structure. The dash-dot line 88 illustrates the forward limit of motion of the body l0 relative to the rocker structure. The motion occurring between the limits of the dotted outline 86 and the dash-dot line 88 together with the motion resulting from the rocker portions 20 and 20a produces an improved rocking or riding action more nearly simulating riding on a pony or horse. This improved rocking action may of course be applied to other congurations of bodies since the horse outline is merely suggestive of one preferred embodiment. It will further be noted that the structure employed provides a suitable rocking action without undue elevation of the seat I2 from. the floor. This, of course, increases the safety factor in the event that a child should become over enthusiastic and exuberant in riding a hobby horse and thereby lose his balance.

While for the purpose of illustrating and describing the present invention, a preferred embodiment has been shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that such variations in the components employed and in their arrangements are contemplated as may be commensurate to the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimell as follows:

A rocking toy comprising a support formed of two similar frame members having parallel rocking portions of semi-elliptical coniiguration having reversely turned and inwardly extending substantially horizontal portions, coupling means for connecting together opposite horizontal portions of said support, arms pivotally mounted on said horizontal portions, and a body, said body supported by said arms and suspended between said horizontal portions, said horizontal portions providing abutment means to permit the body to be moved a predetermined amount relative to said support.

RUDOLF KRASBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this partent:

- `'UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 516,314 McLoughlin Mar. 13, 1894 1,468,993 Converse Sept. 25, 1923 1,493,084 Strniste May 6, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,877 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1889 

